Nearly three years ago, Steve Kinkade and his wife decided to call Centerville home when he was offered the position of plant manager for Amcor, a global leader in flexible packaging with a facility in Appanoose County.
“There was actually a blizzard on the day I came out here in December 2017,” he recalls with a laugh. A little inclement weather couldn’t hide the opportunity – both professionally and personally – that Amcor and Centerville offered.
Kinkade’s career had taken his family all over the country. Although settled back in his home state of Illinois, he tired of the traffic, noise and cost of living. With the kids grown, Iowa offered them a change of pace and improved quality of life. “It’s been fantastic from the minute we got here,” he continues “My wife is very active in the church and women’s auxiliary at the hospital. She hit the ground running.”
Kinkade says they chose a home just blocks from the center of town so they could walk to restaurants and shops. “Town squares are dying across the country. It was very refreshing to come here where there’s so many stores that are vivacious,” Kinkade says. “You walk into the grocery store or the hardware store, and you always see someone you know. Small-town America is really unique and very homey. It’s been very rewarding,” he concludes.
Courtesy of Livability
